Trip mechanism



Dec. 30, 1941 L. M. K AHN TRIP-MECHANISM m m N mm EK. O w w 0 E m wow 0 QN O N Patented Dec. 30, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF ,TRIP MECHANISM Leo MuKahn, New York, N. Y., assignor to The American Laundry Machinery Company, Norwood, Ohio, :a corporation of Ohio 9 Original application March 16, 1938, Serial No.

Divided and this application November 12, 1940, Serial No. 365,170

1 Claim- (Cl.270- -81) held, thus providing sufficient force to operate mechanical devices from the trip finger.

The invention. as here specifically disclosed comprises conveyor tapes for carrying the article around a rotatable pulley and into a folding machine, with the trip finger located in a groove or trough of the pulley so as to beoperated by the article as it is held taut while passing around the pulley. A mechanical connection is provided from the trip finger to a valve which sets in operation timer mechanism for the folding apparatus. Other applications of my invention will occur to those skilled in the art.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter. The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts whichwill be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the essential features of which will be indicated in the claim.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional view of certain essential elements in a machine of the character described; Fig. 2 is a perspective view with parts broken away of the feeding drum of the device shown in Fig. 1; while Fig. 3 is a plan view of a detail of the fluid actuating mechanism employed in connection with the timer shown in Fig. 1.

While the improvements of the present invention are adapted for use in various types of apparatus they have been shown here as forming part of a machine comprising. a frame supporting cooperating feed ribbons, feedrolls and platens, for passing an article of flatwork, such for example as a sheet, towel or the like through the machine at a predetermined speed. Such a machine is shown generally in my Patents No. 1,519,-

ironer as at Ill and may be fed initially between the tapes l2, [4 about the drum IS in the direction of the arrow shown in the drawing. The drum, as shown, may be placed beneath and behind the outlet from the ironer. Feeding the work in the manner shown, i. e., back around the drum and then in one direction and again in another direction past the first folding mechanism l8 until the work or a portion thereof lies upon the pan 20, makes possible a compact spacesaving form of folding mechanism which is greatly to be desired If the work passes through the device without being folded it will be delivered from the pan 20 to the travelling tapes 22 moving beneath the tape-carrying roll 23 in the direction indicated by the arrow and thence to the delivery table 24,

which, as shown, may be pivoted as at 26 so as to be raised and lowered at the option of the operator. i

If the work is to be folded the folding mechanism shown generally as at 18 is caused to pivot forwardly through suitable openings in the pan 20 as to strike the under surface of the work and carry a fold thereof between the rolls 28, which are rotating in the direction shown by the arrows. The work is thus carried through these rolls and folded in a manner hereinafter to be described, as for example at the central portion of the work or at a-distance spaced one-third of the distance from the front to the rear edge of the work, or at any other desired point.

The folded work is delivered after passing through the rolls 28 to the pan 30. This pan may be pivoted as at 32 and caused to press a lightly against the tapes 34 by the action of the 733 dated December 16, 1924, and No. 2,011,934 1 In Fig. 1. there is shown diagrammatically a.

folding machine embodying certain features of the present invention. Flatwork to be folded may be introduced into the machine from the spring 36. Tapes 34 may preferably travel in the direction indicated by the arrow and the pressure between the tapes and the work on the pan may be such as to suitably hold any small article released from rolls 28 at high speed.

If the work is not to be given a second fold it may pass directly from the pan 3!] to the tapes 22 and from thence to the delivery table 24. If the work is to be givena second fold, the fold may be eifected by folding mechanism shown generally at 38. This mechanism, which maycomprise as hereinafter indicated a plurality of folding fingers, may force the work between the rolls 40, and a second fold thus effected at any desired place in the work, as for example at the center of the folded work or near one edge thereof. The work twice folded is then delivered to the pan 42 from whence it passes to the tape 22 and the delivery table 24.

Thewvork i'eceiving pans, for example pan 30,

may comprise a plurality of separated sections spaced so as to permitthe folding fingers 38 to pass between the sections and act upon work resting upon the pan.

Where a pivoted pan, such as that shown at 30,

- feeding action of the tape.

as to facilitate the folding operation. To this end, as shown in Fig. 1, the pan may be" afiixed through the cable 44 to the arm 46 of the pivoted folding element 38 and, as the element 38 moves upward to effect the fold, tension upon the cable 44 through the arm 46 will pull the pan 30 away from engagement with the tape 34, thus momentarily releasing the work from the After the work has been introduced between the rolls and the fold effected; the work will continue to be fed between these'rolls, even should the pan 30 return to its light pressing engagement against the tape. 34.

The feeding drum l6 may, if desired, be formed in the'manner shown in Fig. 2 in sections so designed that the measuring fingers 58 associated with the timing device hereinafter to be described may extend past the outer surface of the drum and thus insure contact with the work fed between the tapes l2 and I4.

1 Obviously with a sheet or other flat article held tightly against the pulley 5:6 by means of the tapes, the front edge of the article is held sufficiently taut to enable it to exert a strong force on the trip. or measuring finger so as to provide sufficient means to operate the mechanical,

connection from finger 50 to valve 202. If the trip finger were placed along a straight run of the conveyor the article wouldnot be held tightly enough to exert sufficient force to operate a mechanical connection although in such positions trip fingers have been used to establish electrical connections. If it were attempted to operate a mechanical connection with a trip With reference toFig. 1, there is shown pneumatic means for actuating the timing mechanism in the timer 60. This means may take generally the form shown and may comprise an air inlet conduit 200, valve control means 202, a cylinder 204 having a piston, the motion of which may be controlled by the coaction of a spring,

for example the spring 206 in Fig. 3, and air pressure Within the cylinder. The timer-actuating shafts are shown generally as at 208, and there may be a plurality of these shafts to control the timing mechanism. They may be actufinger along the straight run of the conveyor, the 1 only result would be to crumple up the article on the tapes. The new arrangement here disclosed provides sufiicient force to. operate a valve or other mechanical device.

The folding machine may be provided with a the folding mechanism and the driving drum H5, or they may be positioned in any predetermined manner, preferably, however, within the general framework of the machine and directly in line with the corresponding feed lane, to insure a compact, eficient device. Preferably, one 1 timing device is provided for each of the predetermined number of feed lanes through the machine and, generally speaking, there may be a plurality of such lanes, for example three or more, in a machine having an over-all effective 3 operating width of 120 inches.

The timers or measuring devices actuating the folding mechanism and intended for use with each feed lane may take the form of the corresponding devices shown and described in the Johnson Patent No. 2,034,040, and will not be described here in detail. Speaking generally, these devices are adapted to actuate the folding mechanism associated with the feed lane controlled by the timer so that the article of flatwork traversing the machine is suitably folded. The articles traverse the machine at uniform speed. The length of each article in each feed lane may be measured and the timers adapted to control the folding mechanism in ways known to the art.

ated by the toggle arrangement shown generally at 2l0. The coaction of the spring 206 and the air pressure within the chamber 204 may control the pivoting of the arm 2l6 about the pivot 2|4, thus controlling the timer-actuating mechanism. The spring 206 may be adapted to impart a sudden motion to the rod 212 with the release of air-pressure withinthe cylinder, as for example to register instantaneously the front edge of a rapidly moving article through the device.

Pneumatic means shown generally in Fig. 1 and. comprising the feed line 220, the valve 222, the feed line 224, and the spring-air controlled piston 226, may actuate the folding mechanism shown generally at [8. This may be accomplished by rotation of the cam element 223. Motion of the 'piston226 may cause a pivoting of'the element 230 and a corresponding release of the camlatch 232. The valve 222 may be actuated by the element'234 within the timer 60. The second folding mechanism 38' is shown in Fig. 1 as mechanically actuated. When the element 240 within the timer 60 comes into contact with the pivoted arm 242, the L-shaped pivoted arm 244 is swung upward-through the motion of the shaft 246 and contacts the arm 248, thus releasing the cam latch associated with the cam 250, which in turn rotates to move the folding fingers into operative folding position. The contact between the end of the arm 244 and the arm 248 may be made as shown through roller means in the event that any work should happen to be resting upon the tapes 22 at the moment of contact. This may occur if the forward end of a long article passes onto conveyor tapes 22 while awaiting the action of the first folding blade.

While the finger-actuating means have been shown diagrammatically and have been but briefly described, it is believed that the description will be adequate to enable one skilled in the art to employ either the pneumatic system or the mechanical system illustrated. Either can be used directly opposite the folding section when a plurality of timers is used.

This application is a division of, my copending application Serial No. 196,133, filed March 16, 1938, now Patent No. 2,222,076, dated November 19, 1940.

I What I claim is:

In a device of the character described, a conveyor for flat articles including a cylindrical tape supporting member and two sets of parallel tapes passing about a portion of the circumference .of said cylindrical member and adapted to carry an article around said member and between said LEO M. KAI-IN. 

